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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23307514">eyes meet across the floor, your names i underscore</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/7daysoftorture/pseuds/wingsoutforshin'>wingsoutforshin (7daysoftorture)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Magic Kaito, 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Confessions, Getting Together, M/M, Polyamory, aoko is there because i love her, oblivious kaito</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 13:55:42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,052</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23307514</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/7daysoftorture/pseuds/wingsoutforshin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“I knew it,” Kudou whispers, loud enough that both of them hear it and turn to look at him. His eyes are wide and half accusing as he looks at Hakuba. “I knew it, Hakuba, you-”</p><p>“Knew what?” Kaito asks, but Hakuba is already cursing under his breath, apparently aware of the meaning behind Kudou’s words. “Am I missing something here?”</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hakuba Saguru/Kudou Shinichi | Edogawa Conan, Hakuba Saguru/Kudou Shinichi | Edogawa Conan/Kuroba Kaito | Kaitou Kid, Hakuba Saguru/Kuroba Kaito | Kaitou Kid, Kudou Shinichi | Edogawa Conan/Kuroba Kaito | Kaitou Kid</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>328</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>eyes meet across the floor, your names i underscore</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>yes, aoko knows kaito is KID</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Hakuba and Kudou are friends. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kaito knows this because while he’d very much like to pretend he never listens whenever Hakuba speaks to him, he’s actually strangely invested in most of the things he says. So yes, he knows Hakuba and Kudou have somewhat recently formed a friendship - he even likes to entertain himself by trying to imagine what sort of boring conversations the two of them share - but maybe he should’ve given into those stalkery instincts that used to rise in him when he was still looking for Pandora, because if he’d kept tabs on Hakuba like his paranoia and unwarranted worry often urged him to, he wouldn’t have been blindsided by him and Kudou showing up together to Aoko’s birthday party.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kudou, who takes one look at Kaito and turns a very interesting shade of red before turning to Hakuba and furiously whispering something in his ear that Kaito is too far away to hear. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>What the hell?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh! Hakuba-kun, Kudou-kun, you came!” Aoko says, drawing Kaito’s attention her way as she comes to stand next to him. She still has Akako’s gift in her hands, a pink sweater with bright red heart stamps that Kaito is having a hard time imagining Akako picking out. “Is Ran-chan with you guys?” She cranes her neck to look over their shoulders, the corners of her mouth dropping in disappointment when she sees no one behind them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She’s coming,” Kudou reassures her, suspiciously avoiding Kaito’s eyes. “She’s just running a bit late. She’s with Kazuha.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I see,” Aoko says, smiling brightly. She turns slightly, and then her eyes widen minutely as she notices the way Kaito is boring holes into the side of her face. “Well, uh, enjoy yourselves! Drinks and snacks are in the kitchen, you know your way around, Hakuba-kun.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then, without another word, she grabs Kaito by the elbow and drags him down the hallway towards the bathroom, where she closes the door behind them before turning to him with an apologetic look on her face. “I completely forgot to tell you Kudou-kun was coming,” she says in a rush. “I swear I meant to give you a warning but with all the preparations it completely slipped my mind and-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay,” Kaito says, cutting off her rambling. He drags a hand through his hair and lets out a sigh, smiling softly. “It was unexpected, is all. I didn’t think you guys were friends.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re not,” Aoko says quickly, and then, at the look he gives her, “I mean, not really. You know how he’s always at the heists, and </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m</span>
  </em>
  <span> always at the heists, so there was bound to be some level of acquaintanceship between us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why’s he here, though?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She purses her lips. “Remember how Hakuba-kun attended your last heist?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes?” Kaito says. He remembers it very clearly, actually. It’s not that often that Hakuba makes time to go to a heist, what with him randomly leaving the country for short bursts of time, so it’s always somewhat memorable when he does show up. He’d been wearing a navy blue suit matched with a wine-red tie that brought out the color of his eyes. Kaito had been, to say the least, a little mesmerized. Not to mention that Kudou had been there as well, wearing a pair of faded jeans and a pale brown turtleneck that clung to him like a sheet of wrapping paper. Kaito is still convinced they planned the whole thing just to throw him off his game.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hakuba-kun asked me about the party then, which, actually, is your fault because I told you to tell him the details but apparently you only told him </span>
  <em>
    <span>about </span>
  </em>
  <span>the party, not anything else,” she says sternly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Anyway, Kudou-kun was standing with us and I couldn’t very well talk about a party he wasn’t invited to right in front of him, specially when Ran-chan and Kazuha-chan were both coming too and he’d probably find out about it later,” she winces, “so...I ended up inviting him too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, what, you didn’t want to be rude so you,” and here he lowers his voice, even though the door is closed and the sounds of the party should be enough to muffle his words for anyone outside, “invited one of the guys you </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span> would recognize me on sight to a party I’d be attending?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her wince grows more prominent. “Yeah…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They stare at each other in silence for a long moment, but eventually he can no longer hold back his laughter. “Sorry,” he says, bringing a hand up to his mouth. Aoko is watching him warily, as if wondering if he’s finally lost his mind. “I’m just trying to picture your face when you were forced to invite someone you barely know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know him well enough!” She says, puffing her cheeks out in annoyance, regret forgotten in the face of his amusement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know more about him than you do,” he says, raising an eyebrow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, well, I’m not in love with him, am I?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He blinks. She blinks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh,” he says, face getting warm. “Cheap blow, Aoko.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry,” she says, smiling sheepishly, cheeks equally red.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s, uh, get out of here,” he says, embarrassment sticking like glue to his insides. “Someone might want the toilet.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He turns around, opening the door, and is greeted by the sight of Hakuba leaning against the opposite wall, arms crossed over his chest and a blank look on his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh,” Kaito says dumbly, hoping the blush on his cheeks isn’t as visible in the light of the hallway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hakuba-kun,” Aoko says from behind him, pushing Kaito out of the way so she can step out of the bathroom. “Did you want to go? Sorry we were in there so long.” And, ah, Kaito can tell her face is red, so Hakuba can definitely see his blush in this light as well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s fine,” Hakuba says, eyes raking over Aoko and Kaito’s faces. Whatever it is he sees, it makes his eyebrows furrow and his mouth twist like he’s tasted something sour. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aoko turns to Kaito, blinking in a way he’s sure is supposed to mean something. He’s yet to learn whatever eye language it is she’s trying to communicate in, though, so he merely frowns at her and grabs her by the shoulder, pushing her down the hallway and away from Hakuba’s prying eyes. He feels his gaze on them the whole way.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you think he heard us?” Aoko whispers worriedly once they’re out of earshot, looking over her shoulder as if expecting Hakuba to jump out of thin air and hear all their secrets.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No way,” Kaito says, despite the hint of doubt in the back of his mind, “it’s too loud out here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But he looked a little...angry, don’t you think?” She says, biting down on her thumbnail. The little birthday hat on her head is tilted to the side, and Kaito fixes it almost automatically, one hand moving to the rubber string tied under her chin and the other to the hat itself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe he really needed to go,” he says, laughing when Aoko slaps his arm away. “I’m sure he didn’t hear you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aren’t you worried at all?” She adjusts the hat herself, pulling it further back to the crown of her head. “If he heard, then he-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He didn’t,” Kaito says firmly. “And even if he did, what would it matter? At least you didn’t mention him, that would’ve been worse.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess you have a point...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just forget about it, we’re supposed to be having fun, not worrying about Hakuba, of all things,” he says, and pulls on her hand, dragging her behind him towards the kitchen, where some of their classmates had been gathered before.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Kudou, apparently, who is leaning against the counter with a pink party cup in his hand and nodding his head at Keiko, who seems to be only half engrossed in whatever it is she’s telling him. Kaito’s sure they’ve never met before, which he finds absolutely hilarious. He can tell Kudou is trying his hardest to mask his awkwardness at being chatted at by a stranger about something other than detective work, and either Keiko is completely oblivious or she’s being polite enough to pretend Kudou is the most socially adept person she’s ever met.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I should-” he starts to say, but Aoko is no longer next to him, and he spots her already halfway across the kitchen talking happily with Akako. He sighs - he didn’t even notice her letting go of his hand. “Well,” he says under his breath, and slowly walks up to Kudou, a genuine smile on his face despite the nerves running under his skin. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Keiko, would you mind if I took him away from you for a bit?” he asks, and Kudou looks at him as if he’s an angel coming down from the sky specifically to save him from this conversation. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not at all,” Keiko says, and, yeah, she was definitely being polite, not oblivious.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kaito watches her leave their side and then turns to Kudou. “So…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kudou wrinkles his nose. “Really?” He asks, deadpan.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Kaito says defensively. It’s not his fault Kudou’s awkwardness is contagious.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kudou sighs. “I didn’t know you’d be here,” he quietly admits, looking down at his cup. “I wouldn’t have come, if I’d known.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t know you’d be here either,” Kaito tells him, biting the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling fondly at the small frustrated pout forming on Kudou’s lips, “And you knowing I’d be here would defeat the whole purpose of you not coming since it’d mean you already knew who I was.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kudou looks up at him, eyes narrowed. “Right.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kaito grabs an orange cup from the counter and starts filling it with lemonade. “What exactly are you so worked up about? I’m not gonna do anything, you know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kudou lets out a snort, the tense line of his shoulders relaxing a little. “I thought you’d be more upset about my presence, is all.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kaito glances at him curiously, taking a small sip out of his cup. “Why?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kudou scoffs. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Why, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he asks.” He makes a face. “Because you’re a criminal and I’m a detective.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kaito shrugs, turning to lean back against the counter as well. His shoulder brushes against Kudou’s for a moment and it leaves his skin tingling all over. “So’s Hakuba, and yet, I’m not in jail, am I?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re not,” Kudou purses his lips, “but I’m not Hakuba.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re not,” Kaito agrees, echoing him. “But I </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span> you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kudou looks surprised at his words, mouth opening for a second before he closes it and looks away. “Yes,” he says, voice soft. “I guess you do.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>That’s solved, then,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Kaito thinks, and then almost drops his cup in surprise when he looks up and sees Hakuba standing by the doorway, watching them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hakuba’s being weird again,” he says, poking his tongue out and gesturing for him to join them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“‘Again’?” Kudou asks, looking up as well to watch Hakuba move across the room towards them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re his friend too, you should know he’s weird a lot of the time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I-,” Kudou taps a nail against his cup. “I really don’t know what you mean.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He stares a lot, for no reason,” Kaito says, “all the time.” He tilts his head, a thought coming to him, suddenly. “Actually, you do it too...Huh. Is it a detective thing?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kudou looks from him to Hakuba, an unreadable expression on his face. His cheeks are red again, and Kaito momentarily wonders if whatever he’s drinking is more than juice, before he remembers it can’t be because he’s the one who bought all the drinks in the first place.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you drinking?” Hakuba asks, finally reaching them. He doesn’t wait for an answer and instead grabs Kaito’s cup and takes a sip out of it, his hand warm and big over Kaito’s. “Lemonade?” he says, letting out a pleased noise and licking his lips. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kaito feels himself overheat under his clothes. This might just end up being the cause of his premature death. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mine is peach,” Kudou says, and offers his cup to Hakuba, who lifts an eyebrow but accepts it, taking a sip from it as well. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sweet,” he comments, handing the cup back, “I thought you didn’t like sweets.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t,” Kudou says, and then, hesitating for a moment, offers his cup to Kaito. “Wanna try it too?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kaito is hit by the unnerving feeling that something else is going on here. Is this some weird detective ritual he’s not privy to? He’s used to Hakuba randomly drinking and eating his stuff, the guy has strange habits for a rich young master type, but he always assumed that was a Hakuba specific trait, not some overarching detective quality. “Sure,” he says, with no small amount of trepidation, and takes the cup from Kudou, fingers brushing against his for a moment before the cup changes hands. Hakuba was right, it </span>
  <em>
    <span>is </span>
  </em>
  <span>sweet. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why are you drinking this if you don’t like it?” He asks, giving the cup back. It feels like such a mundane conversation to be having with Kudou, who he’s been in love with for so long and only now managed to meet face to face, but it still sends sparks of electricity all the way down his spine.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t say I didn’t like it, I said I didn’t like sweets,” Kudou says, amused. “I like this juice, it reminds me of when I was younger. Ran and I used to have it at lunch during grade school.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, speaking of Ran-san,” Hakuba says, turning to Kaito with questioning eyes, his mouth set in a grim line. “Are you and Aoko-san,” he looks away, unexpectedly tense, “in a relationship?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kaito stares at him for a long moment, nonplussed, and then, “How does that relate in any way to Mouri-chan?” he exclaims, feeling the blood rush to his face for the second time today.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ran-san and Aoko-san are quite similar in appearance,” Hakuba says, as if that’s a reasonable leap to make. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kudou remains silent, but his eyes are on Kaito, and for some reason he too seems weirdly invested in his answer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” Kaito says around a sigh. “Aoko and I aren’t ‘in a relationship’, as you said.” He snorts. “What even gave you that idea?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, you came out of the bathroom together, and you both seemed flustered-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Seriously? </span>
  <em>
    <span>That?</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Kaito laughs. “I knew you hadn’t heard anything,” he says, pointlessly glancing across the room at Aoko as if she’d been involved in the conversation this whole time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What were you doing in there, then?” Hakuba asks suspiciously.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She was just apologizing for not telling me that Kudou was coming.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hakuba looks at Kudou, eyebrows raised. “You were talking about Kudou-kun and then you both came out of the bathroom looking flustered?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kudou looks back at him helplessly. “Don’t look at me, I don’t know anything.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The conversation derailed a bit, but that’s none of your business,” Kaito says, waving a hand in front of Hakuba’s face to stop his weird attempt at starting a staring contest with Kudou.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So it wasn’t about me?” Kudou asks, and why the hell is he frowning, did he </span>
  <em>
    <span>want </span>
  </em>
  <span>them to be gossiping about him? Kaito swears he’ll never understand detectives.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not at the end, no,” he lies. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hakuba narrows his eyes at him. “So you’re not dating Aoko-san?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I thought we had already established that,” Kaito says with an eye roll. “Why do you care, anyway? Do you like Aoko or something?” He hopes not - not only for the sake of his own heart but also for the sake of Hakuba’s, because Aoko is half in love with Akako and would never give him the time of the day, even if Kaito thinks she’d be missing out by doing so.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hakuba’s eyes soften, his lips curling into a smirk. “No, I don’t like Aoko-san.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I knew it,” Kudou whispers, loud enough that both of them hear it and turn to look at him. His eyes are wide and half accusing as he looks at Hakuba. “I knew it, Hakuba, you-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Knew what?” Kaito asks, but Hakuba is already cursing under his breath, apparently aware of the meaning behind Kudou’s words. “Am I missing something here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothing,” Hakuba says quickly, eyes intent on Kudou’s. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah...I believe you,” Kaito drawls out, skepticism dripping from his words.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kudou looks from Hakuba to him, and then down at his cup. “I think we should go out to the balcony.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why?” Kaito asks, beyond confused now. “Are you hot?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kudou grimaces. “Let’s just go.” He places his cup on the counter and grabs both their wrists, pulling them behind him and out towards the sliding glass doors.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once they’re outside, he slides the doors closed, muffling the sounds of conversation from inside the house.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Look,” he starts, staring intently somewhere over Kaito’s shoulder and avoiding eye contact. “I have something to say.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Clearly,” Kaito says, and mimics zipping his mouth shut when Kudou glares at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You won’t-” Hakuba starts, but Kudou cuts him off with a shake of the head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” he says, frowning. “I wouldn’t. But you should.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hakuba swallows and turns to look at Kaito, expression unreadable once again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh, what’s all this about?” Kaito asks, feeling anxiety thrumming beneath his breastbone. “I’m feeling just a little bit out of the loop.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kudou takes a deep breath, as if gathering courage, and then stares at Kaito. “I,” he says, stops, clenches and unclenches his fists. His face is flushed, Kaito begins to think he might have really been hot after all. “I have feelings-” he pauses, looking at Kaito like he’s facing his maker, “for you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kaito can see Kudou’s expectant look, can see words forming on his lips, but none of it registers through the shock of having something he’s wanted for so long handed to him on a silver platter. He takes in a sharp breath, chokes on it, and hiccups, feeling his lungs constrict in his chest and pull hard against his ribs. “Wha-” he asks, and a hand presses against his shoulder, steadying him. He looks up, sees Hakuba’s worried face peering into his, and in his peripheral - Kudou, hands lifted towards him as if to grab him, but stopping halfway there, hesitant, unsure. “I’m okay,” he heaves out, hand grabbing at his own shirt to try and reduce the heat spreading through his whole body, he feels like he’s on fire. “I’m fine, just,” he looks at Kudou. “You mean that?” His voice sounds rough even to his own ears.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kudou looks afraid, somehow, and it’s such a foreign look on his face that Kaito wants to drag him closer and kiss him until he forgets how to look anything but absolutely breathless. “Yes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh,” Kaito says, bringing both hands to cover his warm cheeks, trying to make the heat seep into his palms and out of his face. “I- me too, yeah.” He nods, heart racing up his throat and down again, his very own rollercoaster. “But why-” he glances at Hakuba, who’s watching them with an uncomfortable look on his face. “Why would you bring Hakuba along for this?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kudou is staring dazedly at Kaito, as if there’s any reason for him to be surprised at the fact that Kaito returns his feelings, as if Kaito hadn’t been so obviously head over heels from the very start. “Ah, uh,” he shakes his head, a small smile fighting it’s way onto his face even though he’s visibly trying to contain it. “Yes, I-” he looks up at Hakuba. “I brought him along because I have feelings for him too.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And this time the one who’s caught off guard is Hakuba, a soft breath of surprise leaving his lips. He stares at Kudou, eyes wide, and then turns to look at Kaito, who’s already staring back at him with raised eyebrows. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh,” Kaito says, and then, because he’s not the type to let himself be beaten like that, “Me too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You too?” Kudou asks, confused. Hakuba still seems to be processing the whole thing, so Kaito decides the bandage must be ripped off all at once. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have feelings for Hakuba too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What,” Hakuba says, looking at him like he’s just grown three extra heads and a tail. His ears are bright red. “You do?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Would I lie about this?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hakuba shakes his head slowly, eyes moving over Kaito’s body as if seeing him for the first time. “You like me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And me,” Kudou says, and he’s grinning now, as if Kaito liking him is some kind of accomplishment on his part, and not as natural as water running down a spring during the rainy season.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” Kaito says again, and okay, maybe he’s feeling a bit giddy too, because Kudou’s excitement is contagious in the same way his awkwardness is, and his smile is possibly the best thing in the world, only rivalled by Hakuba’s fond little eye smiles that Kaito rarely has the pleasure of glimpsing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I like you too,” Hakuba says, in a rush, as if the words have been stuck in his lungs for years and he’s only just managed to free them. “Kuroba-kun and Kudou-kun.” He makes a small incomprehensible gesture with his hands. “I like you both, I-” His whole face is red now, the color spreading down his neck and under the collar of his shirt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You do?” Kudou asks, looking stunned. “I didn’t realize. I thought you just-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Hakuba says, rubbing a hand over his eyes. “But no, not just Kuroba-kun.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kudou’s smile grows even wider, if such a thing is even possible. “Oh.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Kaito, silently, is also reeling at this revelation, because while he did confess in the spur of the moment, he never imagined Hakuba would say it back. He’d thought, all this time, that he was alone in his feelings, that Hakuba saw him as nothing more than a friend, if even a friend at all, what with their track record of being at each others’ throats half of the time. And- huh. Maybe the staring wasn’t a detective thing, after all. Maybe it was a </span>
  <em>
    <span>Hakuba and Kudou liking him</span>
  </em>
  <span> thing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait,” he says, blinking up at the space between them. “What happens now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hakuba looks at him like he thinks Kaito’s being purposefully obtuse. “We date, of course. Isn’t that the point of confessing your feelings to someone?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“All three of us?” Kaito asks. “Simultaneously?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kudou tilts his head, considering. “Sounds good to me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kaito stares at him for a moment, and then turns to Hakuba, who just looks at him expectantly. “What? You think I’m gonna say no to that? I’m pretty sure out of the three of us I’m the one who’s been dealing with this the longest.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What would make you say that?” Kudou asks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really? I’ve liked you guys longer than you’ve known each other, so I’ve thought about this scenario more times than you, trust me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah,” Hakuba sounds out, hand reaching out to tentatively touch his fingers to Kaito’s, “That long?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Kaito says, shameless now that his secrets are all out in the open. He takes Hakuba’s hand in his and squeezes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Me too,” Hakuba says. He’s smiling, soft and small, and Kaito thinks he might go to heaven right now. The sky will open up and some higher being will come grab him by the throat and take him to paradise, because surely seeing the gentle curl of Hakuba’s lips is enough to make one a believer for life.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Should I say ‘me three’ now?” Kudou asks, leaning close enough that his hand comes to rest against Kaito’s. It’s all the invitation he needs to lace their fingers together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is not how I thought tonight would end,” Hakuba admits, thumb rubbing softly over the back of Kaito’s hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was mostly looking forward to the cake,” Kaito says, “but this is better, I guess.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He laughs when twin glares are turned on him - and thinks, quietly to himself, that maybe Aoko’s fear of being rude wasn’t such a bad thing, after all.</span>
</p><p><br/>
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</p><p>
  <span>END.</span>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>hope yall liked it!<br/>drop a comment if you will, those are very much appreciated :')))</p><p>you can find me at:<br/>twitter: @wingsoutforshin</p></blockquote></div></div>
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